A Used Tesla Roadster Isn’t as Cheap as You’d Think

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired

The Tesla Roadster was the supercar for the early adopter, an electric-powered adrenaline rush that could run with the best from Germany, Italy and beyond. The six-figure price-tag put the car out of reach to mere mortals, which left some folks thinking they’d pick up a used one and save a few bucks.

Think again. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll have to spend.

With the introduction of the Model S, some Roadster owners are trading up. Tesla Motors has announced a resale program for pre-owned Roadsters from the 1.5 version of 2008 through the 2.5 variant that arrived in 2010.

Looking at the showroom floor at Tesla’s dealership in Menlo Park, California, you can snag a used Roadster 1.5 with 31,000 miles for just over $73,000, while a 2010 2.0 version with around 3,000 miles will set you back upwards of $90k. The original warranty carries over with the car, but if you want an extended warranty, be prepared to hand over several more stacks of Benjamins.

As with most pre-owned vehicles, the original warranty carries over to the new owner, with 1.5 models carrying a 4-year/48,000-mile warranty and later versions coming with 3 years and 36,000 miles of coverage. But Tesla is including an Extended Service Agreement (ESA) that’s good for 1 year/12,000 miles when you buy a used Roadster from the automaker.

Where it gets pricey is if you decide to purchase an extension to the existing ESA.

Tesla is breaking out battery and vehicle warranties into two separate payments, with the 1-year/12,000-mile warranty carrying a price tag of $3,000 for the battery and $3,000 for the vehicle. For a 2-year/24,000-mile warranty, you’ll be plunking down $9,500 for both, and a 3-year/36,000-mile extension will set you back a whopping $12,500 to cover the battery and the vehicle.

None of this is terribly out of line for a high-end sports car, but it’s certainly not cheap. Odder still, you can pick up a loaded new Model S for that kind of scratch and wind up with a far more refined and practical car with almost as much oomph.